i was delighted in 2012, to see the romney people complaining that obama got votes because he was supported of legal equality of this. i think we're on the verge of getting full legal equality. it's mostly because we started being honest about ourselves. but i will tell you one very important part of it, al, which you know. there was an effort by the right wing through the remembpublican party to marginalize this and go to african americans and hispanics and saying don't associate with those people. and i'm very proud that i've been among those who have worked hard. they have been very strong. and i think that that solidarity has been a major part of our ability to win. >> many americans look at congress and they just see gridlock. can it be fixed, mr. chairman? >> yes. in the gridlock, it's true. but it's a very spefk reason for it. we weren't gridlocked in 2007 and 2008. we disagreed with them on some issues, but, in fact, 2008, september, just before the election, i and others work with the bush administration to deal with the financial crisis. earlier that year, harry reid and nancy pel